A classic side-scrolling beat 'em up
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Classic is the original 2D beat 'em up from MAGES./5pb. You pick a fighter and take on the bizarre minions of the evil wizard Phantom, dashing through colorful Tokyo locales to fight dragons and killer robots. The core loop is arcade-style crowd control: build combos, use each character's unique special attacks, and push through hordes of enemies. It plays like a beat 'em up with a fighting game twist, and the presentation leans retro with vibrant sprite graphics and a chiptune-inspired soundtrack.
Playing together
Local co-op and online co-op are both supported for the campaign, so you can team up with friends to clear the stages together. When you want to fight each other instead, the battlegrounds arena offers PVP for up to 4 players. The mechanics are easy to learn, which makes dropping into a session with friends straightforward.
Before you start
Story Mode runs 8 stages inspired by famous Tokyo districts and carries a lighthearted tone. Arcade Mode is there for chasing a big combo, a high score, or a fast completion time. You start with 4 characters and can unlock 6 more; each one has its own special attacks plus a customizable stat and skill tree, and levels persist across all modes. One important note: this Classic version is not compatible or upgradable with Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate, which runs on a completely different engine.